The following description of the background of the invention is provided simply as an aid in understanding the invention and is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art to the invention.
The ticketing process for large sporting events is generally a long and complex process. For example, ticket sales for large sporting events may begin well in advance of the construction of the sporting venue, before seating quantities are known and/or before seating configurations are established. Further, sporting event organizers may sell tickets to a variety of types of patrons or “market segments.” For example, ticket organizers may allocate and sell tickets to the local public, corporate sponsors, other interested groups and organizations (e.g., broadcasters, sports governing bodies) and the international public.
In order to facilitate the sale of an unknown quantity of tickets to various tiers of patrons, event organizers generally sell tickets in phases. These phases govern the purchasing process for each of the different market segments. For example, during the first group sales phase, sponsors are able to submit their initial ticket request. During the second group sales phase, available tickets are allocated to sponsors based on their initial requests. Other phases govern ticket sales for different market segments. During the first public ticketing phase, for example, general public customers can formulate a ticket request to submit in the lottery/balloting process. Different ticketing phases may overlap or run concurrently. For example, the group sales request phase may coincide, in part, with the public request phase. After the request phases are complete (for both group and public market segments) tickets for the most popular events are allocated (proportionally for groups) or awarded (using a lottery/balloting procedure for public sales) to individual patrons or groups. Near the end of the ticketing process, the organizer must match up allocated and awarded tickets with actual ticket inventory, assigning specific seats to each customer. Once seats have been assigned, ticket orders can be printed and fulfilled.
In order to execute a ticketing program as outlined above, organizers schedule the various ticketing phases to best meet their needs, scheduling, and local market conditions. Separate ticketing methodologies and systems are employed for allocating tickets. The use of separate systems and methodologies requires massive coordination and the use of an enormous amount of human resources to ensure that tickets are allocated appropriately. Another factor that complicates the organization and execution of ticketing programs for large sporting events is the transitory nature of the various organizing committees charged with organizing and facilitating the events. Most events of this scale are organized by local committees, with varying levels of input and oversight by the international bodies, staffed by temporary employees, often with limited experience organizing similar events.
Accordingly, there is a need for a stable, unified platform for delivering ticketing services to large-scale events that can be easily adapted for various types of events, including events in which tickets are allocated to different groups prior to fulfillment. Further, there is a need for a system and method that allows various types of patrons (i.e., organizational bodies, corporate organizations, individuals, etc.) to request and order tickets to multiple events in advance. In addition, once scheduling of events is finalized, a system is needed to dynamically allocate requested tickets to patrons based on a predetermined set of criteria.